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(Ne Model.) A2 sheets-sheet 1.

G. POTTS.

TILE* MACHINE. No. 274,514. Patented Mar. 27, 1883.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2. G. POTTS.

(No Model.)

TILE MACHINE.

'Patented MM. 27, 188s.

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UNITED STATES 4PATENT. EEicE.

GEORGE POTTS, OF INDIANAULIS, INDIANA.

TILE-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 274,514, dated March 27, 188.3.

Application led November 10, 1882.V (No model.)

l Tool?. whom it muy concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE Porrs, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Indianapolis, county of Marion, and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and usefnl Improvements in Tile-Machines, fully described and represented in the following speciication and the accompanyingdrawin gs, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to a mechanism for the manufacture of tiles for draining and analogous purposes, it being the object of the invention to produce a mechanism for this purpose which shall be more rapid and reliable in its operation, capable of producing a better article, and of being operated with a less expenditure of power than those heretofore in use.

To this end the invention consists in various details of construction and combinations of parts in the machine, all of which will be hereinafter fully explained and particularly pointed out.

ln said drawings, Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of a mechanism embodying the invention. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 3 is an end view of the die-chamber, showing the interior and exterior dies and the manner of adjusting and holding the same in position. Fig. et is a horizontal section taken upon the line .fr :cof Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the driving-cylinder, showing also the reversing mechanism. Fig. 6 is an enlarged view of a portion of Fig. 5. Figs. 7 and S are sectional details of the valve for controlling the feed of oil to the driving-cylinder. Fig. 9 is an inside view of the interior and exterior dies., showing the interior die supported in a di'erent manner; and Fig. 10 is a perspective viewr of a section of the tile produced. The cylindrical temperin g-hopperAis mounted in the usual manner above the die-chamber B, and is provided at a point near its iop with.

diechamher is provided with an opening, 7, through which the clay falls after it is properly tempered and in condition to be pressed through the opening formed by the dies.

It will be observed th atthe bearin g 8, through which the tempering-blade shaft passes at the top of the tempering-hopper, is of sucient length to entirely support said shaft, so that a bearing at its bottom is dispensed with, by reason of which the opening 7 is left entirely unobstructed and a free passage aorded for the clay from the hopper to the die-chamber.

The die-chamber isshown, in the present case, as square in cross-section, although it may be of polygonal or of cylindrical form, and is of suitable diameter and length to receive the desired quantity oi' clay and to permit the plunger to have the proper length of stroke. The forward end of the die-chamber is provided with the various parts constituting the die, through which the clay is pressed to give the proper shape to the tile. These parts consist of an interior die, an exterior die, and an adjustable supporting-frame carrying the latter. The interior die, 10, around which the tile is formed,and which serves to determine itsinteriorconiiguration, is removably supported upon an arm or bracket, 11, which may he of the form shown in Fig. 1, and secured by bolts 12 to one side of the interior of the die-chamber. This support may, however, extend across and be secured to both sides of the chamber, as

shown in Fig. 9 and by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The exterior die, 13, through which the tile passes, and which serves to determine its exterior configuration, is seated in an opening in the supporting-frame or die-carrier 14, it being secured to said frame by a series of' buttons or catches, 15, as clearly shown in Fig.3. The carrier or frame 14, supporting the exterior die, is adj ustably secured to the forward end of the die-chamber by means of the series of bolts 16, which pass through anges upon the sides of the chamber and enlarged openings 17 in said frame, as shown in Fig. l.

To aid in properly adjusting the frame 14 and securing it in any adjusted position, the

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sides. By means of these devices it will readily be seen that the exterior die can be set in any desired relation to the interior die, so as to produce tile of uniform thickness upon all sides,

or of uneven thickness, which latter is often for Letters Patent.

num in front of the plunger.

The reciprocating plunger with which the die-chamber is provided, and by which the' clay delivered from the tempering-hopper. is pressed through the opening in the die, consists essentially of a pair of heads, 2() 21, connected by a yoke, 22,and a top plate, 23. The heads 2() 21 till the entire area ofthe chamber, substantially like pistons, and the head 20 is provided with an ordinary ilap or other valve, 24, so arranged that, as the pl-unger moves backward, air will be allowed to enter the diechamber and prevent the formation of a vac- The plate 23, which .connects the front and rear heads of the plunger, extends the entire width of the diechambcr, or is at least of sufficient width to cover the opening 7 and prevent the clay from falling in the rear of the head 2Q when the plunger is at the forward end of its travel. This plate is also made slightly adjustable by means of set-screws 25,so thatit can be moved outward to compensate for wear.

The bottom of the die-chamber is provided with an opening, 26, located as shown in Figs. l and 4, through which the interiorof the chamber can be reached for the adjustment of the upon the driving-shaft of the machine.

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The plunger just described is operated to press the clay through the opening in the die by means of hydraulic or other analogous pressure applied from the cylinder 28 upon the rear end of the die-chamber through the piston 29 and piston-rod 30, the latter of which passes through the head 2l, and is secured to the yoke 22, as clearly shown in Figs. land 4.'

The duid, (preferably oil -or some other substance which is nearly or quitenon-compressible,)which drives the piston 29, is forced into the cylinder 28 through a main pipe, as 31, connected with any appropriate forni of pumping apparatus operated either from some moving lpart of the machine or independently thereof,

tank 35, through pipe 36 and chamber 37 ,into the pumps, and ejects the same through chamber 38 and pipe 27 into the pipe 3l. One end of the main pipe 31 enters and terminates near the top-of the tank35, as shown in Fig. 1, at which point it is provided witha safety-valve, 39,controlled by a-spring or other device which canbeadjusted,sothatincasetheplungermeets with any undue resistance, as would happen if a stone orother solid substance should pass into the die-chamber, a relief may be afforded to the pressure of the fluid in the cylinder 28 and all danger-of breaking the machine be avoided. This pipe also communicates with an air-chamber, 40, in which the elasticity of the confined air serves to make the movements ofthe piston regular and uniform. The opposite end of the pipe 3l enters the valve-chamber 41, which contains an oscillating valve, 42, which operates to direct the oil or other fluid alternately through the pipes 43 44 and into the cylinder 28 upon the opposite sides of the piston 29.

Referring particularly to Figs. 7and 8,it will be seen that the valve-chamber 41 consists of a cylindrical casing provided with ports 45 46 47, communicating respectively with pipes 3l 43 44, and with a port, 48, communicating with the exhaust-pipe 49, through which the motorfluid is returned to the tank 35. The valve 42 consists of a slightly-tapering cylindrical plug provided with parallel passages 51, which may be made to communicate with vports 46 47 and branch passages 52 53, which open into ports 45 48. To give greater strength to the plug the passages 50 5l 52 53 are provided with a partition-wall, 68, as shown in Fig. 7. This plug is provided with a stem, 54, extendingthrough the wall of the valve-chamber, and with adjusting-screws 55 56, located as shown, by which -it can be maintained in such position as to preserve a perfectly-tight joint between it and the casing.

The stem 54 is provided with an arm, 57,

v(see Fig. 5,) which is connected by a link, 58,

with a pivoted lever, 59, the end of which is loosely connected to a collar, 60, which slides freely upon the valve-rod 6l, which is connected to the head 2l of the plunger. -The rod 61 is provided with two adjustable collars, 62 63,

which, by means of set-screws, can be secured f to the rod in any desired posit-ion', `and is also provided between said collars with springs 64 65, the purpose of which will hereinafter appear. The end of the lever 59 extends below the collar 60, and engages with the face of a double-inclined block, 66, 'which slides in suitable ways secured to the side of the cylinder 28, and is pressed upward against the end of said lever by a spring, 67, as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

The voperation of the mechanism .just deff 'sage by the blades 3. As it arrives at the bottom of the hopper the tempered clay passes through the opening 7 into the die-chamberin front of the plunger. When asucient quantity of the clay has thus passed into the diechamber, the pumps will be started, and the fluid forced into the cylinder 28, behind the piston 29, will cause the plunger to advance, thereby forcing said clay through the die-opening and forming 4the tile, as shown in Fig. 5. Vhen the plunger has thus advanced a proper distance the spring 65 will come into contact with the collar 6U, and said spring will be compressed uutil it has acquired sufticient tension to movethe lever 59 against the resistance of the inclined block 6.6. As soon as the lever 59 lis started the expansion of the spring 65 will throw its end quickly over the apex of the block 66, when the expansion ofthe spring 67 will at once raise the block to its normal position. This movement of the lever 59 will, through link 58 andarm 57, turn the valve 42, so as to permit the duid forced into the pipe 31 to pass through port 45, passages 52 50, port 46, and pipe 43 into the cylinder in front of the piston 29, to retract the plunger. At the same time that a passage is thus opened for the admission of the fluid to the cylinder in front of' the piston a passage will be opened through pipe 44, port 48, passages 53 51, port 47, and pipe 49, which will permit the fluid in the rear ot' the piston to pass back to the tank 35. o When the piston has gained the rear end of its stroke the spring 64 will come into contact with the collar 60, and the valve will in like man ner be moved in the opposite direction, so as to admit the duid through port 45, passages 52 50, port 47, and pipe 44 to the cylinder behind the piston, thereby causing the plunger to again advance, while at the same time the duid in front ofthe piston will be al,- lowed to escape through pipe 43, port 46, passages 51 53, and port 48.

It will be observed that by reason of the cylindricai sleeve 69, which surrounds the piston-rod in front of the piston, the front area of the piston is reduced to one-third or less than one-third of its rear area, from which it results that the piston and plunger are retracted very much more rapidly than they are advanced, thus effecting a great increase in the rapidity ofthe operation ofthe machine.

It is to be observed that the partition 70, which separates the passages 5051 in the valve, is slightly less in thickness than the diameter of the ports 4647,-from which it results that in reversing` the piston there is never a time when the passage of the duid through the valve is entirely arrested, it being allowed to enter the passage 50 before it is entirely shut off from the passage 51, and vice versa. This feature relieves the strain to which the valve would be subjectedby totally arresting the flow of the fluid.

It will readily be seen that by varying the positions of the collars 62 63 the length of the stroke ot" the piston and plunger and the amount of clay delivered through the die can be regulated at pleasure.

As before stated, the pnmp32 may be of 7o speed of the plunger can be varied at pleasure.y This is an important feature, asin mak-- ing tile of large size the plunger can be operated successfullyat a much greaterspeed than when small-sized tile are being made, and also because by this means the amount of tempering to which the clay is subjected can be easily regulated.

What I claim is'- l. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its tempering-blades, of the diechamber and its plunger, and means for operating said blades` and plunger and for varying their speed with relation to each other, substantially as described.

2. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its blades, of the die-chamber and its plunger, the duid-cylinder and its piston, and the @ump and its connecting-pipes, the

I Whole being' arranged and operating substantially as described.

3. The combination, with the temperinghopper andy its blades, of the die-chamber and its plunger, the duid-cylinder and its piston, the pump and its connectipg-pipes, and the supply-pipe 36, provided with a regulatingcock, the Whole being arranged and operating substantially as described.

4. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its blades, of the die-chamber and theplun ger, provided with the adjustable plate 23, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

5. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its blades, of the die-chamber and its plunger, and means for retracting said plunger at a speed greater than that with which it is advanced, all substantially as described.

6. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its blades, of the die-chamber and its plunger, and means for varying the stroke of said plunger, all substantiallyas described.

7. The combination, with the temperinghopper and its blades, of the die-chamber and its plunger, the duid-cylinder and its piston, the front area of which is less than the rear, and means for delivering the duid with the same rapidity to both sides of said piston, all substantially as described.

8. In a tile-machine, the combination, with the die-chamber and its plunger, of the duid- ICO IOS

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the die-chamber and its plunger, of thepiston and cylinder 29 28, valve 42, valve-rod 61, attached to said plunger, and provided with the adjustable collars 62 63 and springs 64 65, the vdouble-inclined block 66, spring 67, and connections, all substantially as described.

In testimony whereof 1 have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses.

GEORGE POTTS.

Witnesses:

ROBERT A. KISTNER, LINDLEY VIN'roN. 

